Ember
by burningdarkfire
Summary: The city of light is dying slowly / As the hourglass sands keep on trickling - But Kurogane is determined not to die just yet.  KuroFai, SyaoSak. Oneshot.


**Ember**

"_Another mob was stopped by the Peacekeepers today as one man began shouting accusations at the mayoral residence during a peaceful demonstration and …"_

"What shall we have for dinner today, Kuro-puu?" Fai asked cheerfully, humming over the voice on the radio and the faint cackle of the fire. He had his head buried in the kitchen cupboard and Kurogane could hear the sound of cans being shuffled around. "We had peas yesterday … spinach the day before that …"

"_The mob gathered force around the school as some of the older children joined in …" _

"It's getting worse," Kurogane interrupted Fai's rambling. "Everything's getting worse."

"Don't say that," Fai scolded gently, withdrawing his head from his inspection of their food to smile at Kurogane. "We have each other, and we have our family. It's all we need."

"_Several injuries have been reported after a blackout this afternoon caused massive waves of panic …"_

"We can't feed ourselves without food," Kurogane responded, watching Fai's lips tighten as he turned back to the cupboard. "We can't do anything without light, and the amount of consistent lighting we've been getting lately is zero." He looked pointedly at the embers of the fading fire.

"_Windows were shattered by members of the mob and several buildings were lit on fire, whether by accident or on purpose …"_

"It'll get better," Fai said firmly. "It has to get better. It can't get any worse, right?"

Kurogane got up from his seat at the kitchen table and moved to stand behind Fai. "How can it get any better? We're stuck here, in a dying city that's running out of food and running out of light and running out of everything. If we stay, we'll be dead too."

"But we can't leave," the blonde pointed out dejectedly. He had turned to face Kurogane, apparently done fiddling with the twenty-some cans still left in the cupboard. All the food that was left in their house was in those twenty cans, and there was no food left to be found in the city that wasn't guarded zealously by its owner. "There's nothing except for this city. We can't go out into the Beyond, there's nothing there. There's only darkness. We'll never survive."

"We won't survive here," Kurogane urged, feeling the desire to act, to _do _something about this hopeless situation. "We don't really know what's in the Beyond. There might be something other than this city. Maybe there's another city, a few hours walk away."

"No one has ever gone into the Beyond and come back," Fai replied wearily. This was already a conversation they had had several times, and each time Fai would win by saying that surely things must get better. This time, though, Kurogane thought he didn't seem so sure. "There's nothing out there."

"We'll die if we stay," Kurogane repeated, reaching forward to grip Fai's arm. "I can't let that happen! I can't just sit around, starving day by day … watching the children starve … I can't, I won't let that happen! I know," he added suddenly as Fai opened his mouth to speak again. "I know you've been skipping meals, and I have too. When was the last time you ate? Two, three days ago? Me too. But no matter what we do, the kid and the girl will run out eventually. There's nothing left in this city."

"But what can we do, Kurogane?" Fai demanded, visibly upset. He tried pulling back, and when Kurogane didn't loosen his grip, leaned forward instead into his partner's chest. His voice was muffed as he continued speaking. "Tell Syaoran and Sakura that it's hopeless? That we're just all going to die, no matter what?"

"We can leave," Kurogane said yet again, wrapping his arms securely around Fai. "There's no hope left in this city anymore; it's just falling apart more and more every day. We'll leave this place, and we'll hope to find something better."

Fai tilted his head back to give Kurogane a tired smile. "I can't even argue with you anymore, Kuro-chan. Let's leave tonight; that'll give me enough time to prepare everything."

Kurogane pressed a gentle kiss to Fai's lips. He pulled away to talk again, his voice stirring quietly like the small flames flickering in the corner. "We'll need clothes, weapons, and fire. Whatever food is left can just be carried in a bag. We should bundle up, in case it gets really cold in the Beyond. I'll grab my axe, and maybe the rest of you can carry around kitchen knives, or something."

"Even the kids?" Fai asked doubtfully. But now that they had agreed to leave, Kurogane was burning with energy. He released Fai to clasp his arms together and pace, brow furrowed as he thought about what else they would need.

"Everyone," Kurogane confirmed. His eyes flickered over their small kitchen and living room, over the scruffy table and four chairs that huddled up against the dented and scratched counters, over the worn-out couch and the coffee table that had three legs that were the same length and a fourth that was slightly shorter. "What do you think we could use to carry the light?"

Fai, too, was gazing at everything around them, a forlorn expression on his face. Kurogane reached out to pull him into another embrace, wanting only to erase that hopeless look. Fai looked somewhat surprised as Kurogane's arms held him again from behind.

"Kuro-daddy's strangely affectionate today," he teased lightly, his fingers brushing over Kurogane's skinny forearms to hold onto the scarred hands. "Usually Fai-mommy needs to do a lot more than this!"

"Our future isn't completely dark yet," Kurogane murmured into Fai's ear. "We'll get through this. _I _will get us through this."

Fai fixed a brave, pained smile onto his face. "Yes, we will. We don't have a choice." He cast another long look around them. "I'll miss this place though. It was home for so many years …"

"I still remember the day you made me carry you over the threshold," Kurogane grumbled, planting kisses along Fai's shoulders and neck. "You were squealing like a five year old."

Fai laughed gleefully, mood boosted by the memory. "Kuro-tan was so rough and unchivalrous! Everyone knows you have to carry the bride over the threshold!"

"That didn't excuse the squealing," Kurogane pointed out, turning Fai around to face him.

Fai just grinned at him. "I was so afraid that Kuro-mi was going to drop me!"

Kurogane smirked. The image of Fai glaring at him indignantly from the floor, splendid in his gown, still burned in his mind. "If you hadn't made such a big deal out of it, maybe I wouldn't have done it."

"Mean," Fai sighed, shaking his head. "So mean, Kuro-chuu!"

"I did what I thought was best," Kurogane explained, a smile still flickering around his lips. Fai just gave him a look that told him that although he had been forgiven, his crime that day would not be forgotten, no matter what he said. "Just like we are now."

Fai nodded, newly determined. "We'll make good memories again someday. Syaoran and Sakura deserve that chance too."

"Right," Kurogane agreed. "So let's start packing."

Fai skipped off to assemble their clothing while Kurogane went to tend the fire. He poked the smoldering embers and debated whether or not to try bringing a few along with them. As long as the embers were still hot, a fire could be resurrected.

As long as they kept going, there was always hope.

* * *

"Syaoran! Sakura! Welcome back!" Kurogane heard Fai greet the children cheerfully as they entered the small home. "How was your day at school?"

"We were preparing for Assignment Day," Sakura said just as Kurogane walked out of the larger of two bedrooms. She smiled gently in his direction.

"Welcome back," he said gruffly.

Sakura glanced behind her at Syaoran for a moment while responding. "We're home."

Syaoran, however, was staring at the pile of supplies on the table that Kurogane and Fai had amassed and crammed into four bags. "What is all that for?"

Kurogane looked away. Even though he thought they were doing the right thing, he didn't want to be the one to tell the kids he was responsible for destroying their life as they knew it now. "We …" Damn it, he refused to be a coward! "We're leaving."

The two teenagers looked confused. "Leaving for where?" Syaoran asked.

"We're going to try to find another city," Fai explained, his eyes meeting Kurogane's for a brief moment. "You might have noticed that things aren't really going well these days, and Kuro-daddy thinks we have a better chance if we leave."

"You mean … go out into the Beyond?" Sakura squeaked. She looked rather frightened, but soon her face set into determination. "If that's what it takes, then I'll go. Please tell me what to do!"

"Me too," Syaoran added hastily, taking Sakura's hand in his own. "I'll go too. A lot of people are already gone, and a lot of people are missing …"

Kurogane thought that from the grief in the boy's voice, most of the people he knew weren't only missing. They were dead, dying from starvation or exhaustion or an unfortunate accident during one of the blackouts, and there had been no one to look for them and see if they were still alive.

"We'll leave tomorrow, if that's okay," he announced, watching both their faces for any sign of aversion, but they seemed to agree. Syaoran gave him a silent nod as he squeezed Sakura's hand. "Let's get some sleep tonight, and we'll wake up early tomorrow."

"Does it really make a difference?" Syaoran asked. "It's dark in the Beyond no matter what time of day it is."

Kurogane shrugged. For routine. Normalcy. In the end, he didn't say anything, but Syaoran seemed to understand and tugged Sakura along to the bedroom they shared. Kurogane stared after them for a moment, and then turned to look at Fai.

Just as he opened his mouth to speak, a rumble rippled through the ground beneath them. Kurogane looked around in alarm as everything around them shook and he nearly fell as the ground buckled under his feet. He lurched forward, trying to reach Fai, but the blonde was already moving towards him, blue eyes wide in fear.

"The children!" Fai screamed, passing Kurogane to meet Syaoran and Sakura, who had emerged into the hallway, frightened expressions on their faces. "Are you two alright?"

_rumble rumble_

They nodded in stunned silence. Kurogane grabbed Syaoran and pulled him forward. He staggered to the kitchen table, nearly toppling over more than once, and grabbed a random bag just as a sudden **crack!** preceded one of the beams from their low ceiling as it tumbled down, just barely missing the boy.

_rumble rumble_

"Go!" Kurogane ordered, shoving the bag at Syaoran and grabbing another for himself. He threw another at Fai, and the smallest at Sakura, who fumbled. Her bag spun to a few meters away, under the coffee table, and she scrambled after it.

_rumble rumble_

"Sakura!" Syaoran shouted, starting towards her. There was yet another **crack! **as another beam fell and crashed onto the coffee table. "SAKURA!"

_rumble rumble_

"I'm okay," a faint voice came from under the beam. "The table caught it. I'm okay." She backed out slowly, her bag clutched in her arms. Syaoran seized her hand and they dashed towards the entrance.

_rumble rumble_

"Hurry! Everyone out!" Kurogane barked out. He gestured at Fai to get a move on and the blonde complied just as the inner living quarters of the house collapsed.

_rumble rumble_

He glared impatiently at the door, which was apparently stuck as Sakura, then Syaoran, fiddled with the doorknob. The boy cast a desperate look behind him at Kurogane, who started forward.

**Crack!**

Kurogane ran –

_Have to protect –_

Fai was screaming something, and then Kurogane reached him; he wrapped his arms around his partner as the house broke down completely and he felt something heavy strike him on the shoulder, and then on the back, and soon it felt like he was a collection of dark bruises until with another **crack! **something hit Kurogane on the head and he nearly passed out. He was vaguely aware of his legs giving out beneath him and he concentrated on the feeling of warmth in his arms, the knowledge that Fai was still there, still alive.

_rumble rumble_

As long as the embers were still hot, a fire could be resurrected.

As long as they kept on living, there was always hope.

_Have to protect – _

Kurogane's vision faded, the burning embers lingering longer than anything else – and was that a sound? Someone, someone crying …

"_Kurogane! Kurogane! KuroganeKuroganeKuro –_

**

* * *

**

A/N

- This fic was based off the novel _City of Ember_ by Jeanne DuPrau. Kurogane and Fai are living in the City of Ember, with only the dark Beyond (I don't actually remember the word for it from the novel ... it's been a while ^^') around them. Unknown to them, Ember is actually an underground city, built by humans nearly 300 years ago (241 in the actual novel, I think), but only designed to sustain them for 200. This fic could sort of be taken as a "what if" the heros of Ember hadn't found a way out, and the city was left to crumble.

One more thing, just to clarify - Syaoran and Sakura are adopted, and NOT related. XD

Hope you enjoyed! It was written in about two nights, so it was a quickie that just kind of popped into my mind ^^ Reviews are love!


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